Maceo Plex & Gabriel Ananda - Solitary Daze

Maceo Plex & Gabriel Ananda - Solitary Daze
Maceo Plex and Gabriel Ananda's "Solitary Daze" is a house colossus that flexes some impressive muscles. Wallowing in saturnine organ chords and ethereal synth swells, its primary weapon is a string-based doppler effect that threads its way across the track, eventually bursting into a twisted breakdown. If Plex and Ananda's aim is to trip you out with mind-altering sonics then this slice of brooding house succeeds.

The remixes don't veer too dramatically from the original's mood. North Lake's version sees the Detroit producer explore the kind of wobbly analogue house he's brought to releases on Phonica and Permanent Vacation, although it's upstaged by Barnt's version, which, given his recent form, isn't a surprise. Rather like Ricardo Villalobos or Roman Flügel, Barnt's remixes—like his monumental restyling of CPI's "Proceso" from last year—play the long game. You'll struggle to find elements of the original here, but Barnt shows a like-minded desire to take you somewhere dark and frozen. He fills the track with delayed notes and spitting percussion, but what really creates the intimidating atmosphere is an expert use of space—and there's lots of it.